[V8] On gas guzzler incentives....

[Roger Woodbury]

I was in Bangor last weekend, and I saw another V8.  It was one that I had
never seen before and was a bit surprised.  The car was a different color
than I had seen before, also, so I wanted to get closer to it as the traffic
moved from light to light.  As near as I could tell, it was Amerena Red
Pearl..the only one that I have ever seen.  It could also have been a
Clycamen Pearl also.I have seen very few of those.

 

Anyway, I came up behind it and saw that it had been smacked in the rear
right corner and the tail light was somewhat misshapen, and the gas filler
door was ajar.  Closer up, the car looked to be exactly what it was:  an old
Audi automobile in some form of running condition, but damaged and, well,
OLD.

 

All of which makes me think about the thread about getting rid of the V8 and
taking the gas guzzler discounts that could well approach ten thousand
bucks:  is it a good deal?

 

The simple answer is for many V8 owners, simply, YES.  

 

The EPA mileage numbers are a government game that may or may not apply to
everyone.  I have NEVER gotten fewer than 19 miles per gallon from any of
the three V8s that I have had, but I do not drive regularly in what is known
as "real" traffic, and never have I been long enough in a real urban setting
with a V8 for it to consume one full tank.  I realize that this is not the
case for most.  Most who use their cars on a daily basis are more busy doing
their "daily" things than maintaining their cars.  Thus their V8's are
getting closer and  closer to the "use by" date that most cars driven a lot
have.  

 

The fleet is aging.  Many new cars have been performance stats than our V8's
had when they were new.  The technology is better, although the newer cars
are more complicated and perhaps will have a shorter life span because they
will be considerably more expensive to have maintained, when maintained by
the dealer.  True, the newer cars will be under warranty, but I think that
fewer of the newest cars will reach a second life than was formerly the
case.  So, for more people probably, leasing a new car and then walking away
at lease end will be the rule and for those stuck with a "used" car:  good
luck!  It's not just the Panamera's 130 interior buttons that I am thinking
about, but the gazillions little computations that the various computers in
almost every new car has that can begin to get edgy once the odometer has
rolled past 50,000 miles.  

 

So, I think the getting four grand for a V8 on trade for some rather
pedestrian transportation vehicle is a good idea, if the car is in less than
outstanding condition.  It is true that dedicating $3-400 per month for a
while can make a V8 like new, still and all, that might not make much sense
for many V8s on the road.  Not everybody will want to devote part of their
lives to their V8's going forward.  Wives, children, golf, and paying the
mortgage will have far greater priority I'm willing to bet.

 

This is a no brainer for anyone who can deduct the cost of the new car as a
business expense.  If dependable transportation that is not aging before
your eyes is a priority, ditch the V8 at the dealer who will give you the
best deal, period.  Take the deduction and continue to read in this forum,
about the fewer and fewer Audi V8 fools that continue to worry about their
squeaking air conditioner fan, or failing instrument clusters.  

 

But there will never be another V8. There will be better CARS, and more
complex CARS, and more exotic CARS that are often unobtainable, but the V8
is fading into history.  

 

For now, I'll keep mine. I will continue to maintain it, and continue to
drive what is a pretty cheap, high performance, and surprisingly fuel
efficient car.  

 

Even if I had all the money to buy whatever I might replace it with, there
is nothing that I would rather have than what I've got.  

 

Your experience may vary.  Feel no guilt.

 

Roger

 

 

P.S.  The question about whether or not these cars might actually appreciate
in value at some point will also arise here.  The answer is that if your car
has relatively low mileage.say less than 100,000 miles.and you can afford to
park it in a secure, preferably climate controlled garage, and not drive it
further, in ten or fifteen years it might be worth something more than
$3-5,000 to someone.  But don't count on it, unless it is one of the last 27
1994s imported.